Forward the Conscious Vibes: Prezident Brown Speaks to Jahworks.org

Prezident Brown:  Yes, because we elect the leaders. But the people have the power. No matter how the leaders act, the people have the power and once the people are not subliminally seduced, because that is how they do it, how the system works.  A few people set up the programs and they use the television and they use the media to sublimely seduce the people so it's like they do things that you don't even realize they are doing.  So, this is where I am coming with my music to tell people because a lot of people don't see it that way.  Things that look normal to them are not really normal. 

So people won't speak out unless they know what is happening. That is the other thing, they won't speak out unless they know we are being misled. But I think we can reach a point, I have that vibe and that hope that we will reach a point where the people will see.

Francesca:   Does the message of hope and peace need to be shouted to the people to wake us up or is humanity listening quietly with an open heart?

Prezident Brown:  I think people are listening quietly.  Then it comes down to the radio and the media.  It would be nice to inject more positive music.  The government knows that people are like children. You can imagine the power you have when you are on stage and there are 20,000 people standing in front of you, looking at you and you say, "Hands in the air!" and they all do it.  That is power, and the leaders and everybody knows that.  Those that are in control know that.  So that is why music like mine takes a longer time. You have to stay at the grassroots level with the grassroots people. They don't really put the message in the mainstream because it goes against them. Once the radio is playing it, the people are going to hear it, sublimely.  So by controlling what is played, you can keep the people ignorant and tell them to just have fun. But while you're having fun they are engineering whatever to control you for whatever reason; their ego or the power of control, so they won't allow positive music to be in the mainstream.

Francesca:  Do you have any concerns about the images that are reaching the youth through pop culture?

Prezident Brown:  Yes I do, even within my country. I am played on the radio as are other positive artists, but the negative vibes overpower positive vibes because of the money that is being injected into the thing. And then even from an artist's point of view, Jamaica is like a factory of artists.  You have young people who come up and are very strong.

If youth see a certain artist being hyped on the TV or the radio and he's driving a BMW and he's shouting some bullshit, the youth is not going to follow me because that's reality--he wants to drive a BMW. Prezident Brown is not driving a BMW.  That's what I'm talking about--how the universe works, positive and negative.  Even if they would just balance the thing and let people choose, let people hear me and hear someone who is opposite to me.  Then they can choose, "well, I want to go good, I want to go bad, I like good music, I like bad music." Let them people decide. Don't sublimely put it to them. That's what I ask.

Francesca:  Are young roots conscious artists getting the support that they need by producers and labels both in Jamaica and abroad?

Prezident Brown:  To some extent but not to the full extent that it is supposed to be.  For example, it took me years of faith and a sense of purpose to be here talking to you as a recording artist.  If I didn't know my sense of purpose, I wouldn't continue.  I've been discouraged so many times as a roots conscious artist.  People and producers tell you that "man that stuff doesn't sell" and all of that.  So I think it needs more backing. 

Francesca:  Is it even possible in today's musical climate for the young roots singers to get backing?

Prezident Brown:  I think it's possible if we keep pushing. Bob Marley had it rough in Jamaica. They didn't even want to play him on the radio. I remember I heard Bob Marley say at one point "I feel like picking up my arms."  Because when you know you are doing the right thing and the people are just not, you feel like getting aggressive...like man what's wrong with you? I'm doing the right thing so why don't you want to play it? It's kind of funny still how people operate.  Because then here comes a producer who tells you that he's spending his life savings and he's not going to spend it to lose it for the welfare of his kids and all that.  So I think in this time it takes special people to pick up that mantle. Even with my agent, Sean Fay, I think it's a divine link because I didn't know him for a long time but Sean just knows my music and he just had this urge to link--people need to hear this. He just did it, just like that. I see his intention and it is good so we need more people like him who are just doing it for the sake of the music because it is good and because people should hear it.  But business-wise people are going to back down and saying this isn't selling.

Francesca:  What are you plans for the rest of the year and what projects are you working on?

Prezident Brown:  We have a lot of recordings that we're going to compile again and put out "Volume 3." I'm also working on another album because this stuff that we're going to put out is already recorded. But I am also going to do a new album. Currently I am signed to a company in Germany called Chet Records.  I spoke to them the other day and they got a deal from Sony so I hope Sony will be interested in what I do. But Chet is really interested in what I do.  They are like angels again--they love what I do and just want to put it out there.  So to the mainstream level Chet is the company that maybe will be the vehicle into the mainstream.  And I'm going to be looking into strategies also on how to come across and get attention from the mainstream so we can give the people the message.

Francesca:  Are you considering more collaborations with other artists?

Prezident Brown:  Yes, this company wants me to do something with a major U.S. artist. I don't know who it will be but they are looking into that, something to bring it, give it the hype, so the voice can be heard, ya know?

Francesca:  To sum up, you have one album that is coming out soon and you're also writing new works?

Prezident Brown:  Yes, a part of it has been written.  After I finish here in the U.S. in September I will be going back to Jamaica to work.  We laid down some tracks already and we have two singles to release soon on vinyl.  We're planning all kinds of strategies just to get the music circulated to the sound systems because you can never leave the grassroots level because that is where you build from.  The music will be good from all of this touring and all of this vibration.

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Francesca D'Onofrio resides in Sacramento, California and has been a supporter of Caribbean Music for many years. She has been an organizer and stage manager for the World Music Stage at Sacramento's Heritage Music Festival for the past 6 years and is a freelance writer and photographer. She can be reached at jagypsy@earthlink.net.